The Miami Hurricanes and the Washington State Cougars meet for the opportunity to close out the season with a win in the Sun Bowl on Saturday, Dec 26. Washington State (8-4) has picked up the win in three of its last four and Miami (FL) (8-4) four of its last five. The game starts at 2:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec 26 and will air on CBS.
Washington State got blown out by Washington 45-10 in its last game. Dom Williams had a good game in the loss, registering six catches for 47 yards and one TD. Robert Lewis put up 60 receiving yards on seven receptions. Miami (FL) is hoping for another victory like its last game, when it beat Pittsburgh 29-24. Rashawn Scott had a good performance for the Hurricanes, pulling in seven receptions for 74 yards and one TD. Brad Kaaya had a great game as well, adding 261 yards and a TD through the air.
Washington State is a four-point favorite against the Hurricanes. The Over/Under (O/U) is currently at 61 points for this matchup.
Heading into this bowl game, the Cougars are 8-4 Straight Up (SU) and 9-3 Against The Spread (ATS). In the past five games, Washington State is 3-2 SU and 4-1 ATS. Washington State will try controlling the game with its passing attack, which averages a nation-best 397 yards per game. The Washington State pass defense has played at another level the past five games. It has given up 224.6 passing yards per game during that span. The Cougars are one of the best in the country at scoring in the fourth quarter, averaging 9.9 points. Mistakes and a lack of focus may be factors that benefit the Cougars in the game. The Hurricanes are one of the most penalized teams in the nation with 9.3 flags per game.
On the other side, the Hurricanes head into this bowl game with records of 7-5 ATS and 8-4 SU. The Hurricanes went 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS over the last five games. The Miami (FL) pass defense has given teams fits during the past five games. During that time, opponents have gained an average of only 185.6 passing yards against this scary bunch. The Miami (FL) defense will take advantage of every opportunity the Cougars give it. The Hurricanes generate two turnovers per game, 19th in the country.
Predictions: SU Winner – Washington State, ATS Winner – Washington State, O/U – Over
Notes
Washington State is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington State’s last 5 games.
Miami (FL) is 8-0 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. Washington State is 6-1 SU when leading after three quarters.
Remarkably, Washington State is only 1-3 SU in games where it comes out ahead in the turnover battle, yet undefeated (6-0 SU) when losing the turnover battle.
Nationally, the Washington State passing attack is ranked first, while the Miami (FL) pass defense is only ranked 28th. The Hurricanes passing game is ranked 27th, compared to the 65th-ranked pass defense of the Cougars.
